Bulletproof (LCHF/Keto) Coffee On A Budget

If you have been looking for a way to get your fat intake up, but have not really been successful, then adding 'Bullet Proof Coffee' (BPC) to your dietary regimen may just be the thing you are looking for. So you may have read about BPC on some of the LCHF and Keto forums and many keto enthusiasts swear by it, but what exactly is BPC. Well technically, 'Bulletproof' (BP) is a company owned and operated by Dave Asprey that sells a brand of purified coconut oil labeled 'Brain Octane Oil'. This liquid is a form of refined coconut oil is said to have 10 times the caprylic acid (C8) per tablespoon (14 grams) than ordinary coconut oil (1.4 grams). This has not been verified by the FDA, but I have no reason to doubt this statement at this time. Having said all of that, the term 'BPC' has come to mean a variety of coffee based drinks that include either or both unsalted butter and coconut oil. The original BPC recipe listed in this article comes form the 'Bulletproof' website.

So what is so special about BPC that has made it the golden child of LCHF and Keto community? First, it is an easy way to get in a large amount of fat in a small amount of liquid (52 grams of fat) if you make it with 2 tablespoons each of butter and coconut oil. Second, many claim that the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in coconut oil help provide mental and physical energy, giving your clarity of thought and supporting cognitive function keeping you full and focused for hours. The fact is, coconut oil is an excellent supply of MCT's, specifically C8, and C10. These MCT's are easily and rapidly broken down and absorbed into ketones providing instant energy for your brain. So obviously a concentrated liquid form of MCT like Brain Octane Oil would be better right? Maybe, maybe not. That is what we will be looking at in this article, and maybe, just maybe, I can convince you that there is a cheaper way to have your bulletproof coffee without breaking the bank.

The Original Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

Many people in the keto community use BPC as a liquid meal replacement for their breakfast. The idea is that it is a good source of energy and fat that your body can quickly convert into energy making you feel great, and curbing your morning hunger pangs. So the first recipe in this article is the one directly from the 'Bulletproof' blog.

8 ounces of black coffee (Bulletproof's certified clean Coffee beans)

1 – 2 tablespoons Brain Octane Oil (coconut oil)

1 – 2 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold organic butter

Start by pouring 8 ounces of your favorite coffee into a blender. Then add 1 - 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Process for 20 – 30 seconds until is creamy and frothy.

Bullet Proof Coffee (1 Tbsp each butter and coconut oil)

Calories – 222, protein 0.1 grams. Fat 26 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Bullet Proof Coffee (2 Tbsps each butter and coconut oil)

Calories – 444, protein 0.2 grams. Fat 52 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

The Costs Associated with BPC

First, I'm a coffee guy, and I understand the science behind BPC, but to be honest Brain Octane Oil and Kerrygold butter are just to damn expensive, not to mention their certified clean coffee. A 16 fluid ounce bottle of Brain Octane Oil sells about $24.00 ($1.50 per ounce), and it takes two tablespoons to make 1 ounce, so the cost of Brain Octane Oil is $1.50 per cup of coffee. Then there is the Kerrygold butter which $4.99 for 8 ounces ($0.31 per tablespoon). So far that puts us at $1.81 and we haven't even factored in the coffee that sells for $20.00 far a small 12 ounce bag ($1.66 per ounce) of ground coffee.

Don't get me wrong, if you are one of those people that spends $5.00 or more every morning at Starbucks for your morning cup of coffee, then making your own BPC would definitely be cheaper and faster than running through your local Starbucks drive-through. In addition, if you factor in the cost of the breakfast that you will not eat if you choose to make this your morning boost of fat and energy, then $1.50 is probably a good investment. Having said all of that, we have to go back and look at Mr. Asprey's original statement on his blog. “When I first tried Yak butter tea in Tibet I felt like a million bucks.” So by this statement alone, we know that the local farmers there used only butter in their morning tea, not refined coconut oil. So the question is do you need to purchase Brain Octane Oil to get the same energy boost as Mr. Asprey describes? I will leave that question up to you to answer for yourself, but my suspicion is that if you simply use butter in your coffee like the Tibetan mountain guides, then you will definitely benefit from the natural energy boost without the added cost.

My Morning Keto Coffee

That brings us to my version of BPC. There are two things you need to know about my keto coffee. First, I do not use it as a meal replacement, but as a delivery device for adding fat to my diet. I eat three scrambled eggs with two tablespoons of butter and three pieces of bacon after I get to work (yes, I make several batches the day before my work rotation starts, and heat them in the microwave at work). Second, I have an hour drive to work and I am lazy. What I mean by that is, when I am working I do not have time to pour coconut oil, butter, and coffee in a blender and make a frappé and then clean up the mess. Rather I pop a tablespoon of coconut oil in my mouth (14 grams of fat) and head to the treadmill to exercise while drinking my first cup of coffee. I grab my second cup for the hour long drive.

8 ounces of black coffee (Folger's, Maxwell House, whatever is on sale)

3 drops liquid sucralose

2 tablespoons home made heavy whipping cream flavored creamer

1 – 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Great Value Brand (optional)

Start by pouring 8 ounces of your favorite coffee into a blender. Then add 1 - 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Process for 20 – 30 seconds until is creamy and frothy.

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer)

Calories – 102, protein 0.62, fat 11 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer, 1 tablespoon butter)

Calories – 204, protein 0.63, fat 33 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

Per Cup (2 Tablespoons Creamer, 2 tablespoons butter)

Calories – 306, protein 0.64, fat 45 grams, carbohydrates 0.84

By the time I get to work, I have had two cups of coffee with just heavy cream (calories 204, protein 1.24 grams, fat 22 grams, carbohydrates 1.68 grams), plus one tablespoon coconut oil (calories – 120, protein 0 grams, fat 14 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams). For a grand total of 324 calories, 1.24 grams of protein, 36 grams of fat, and 1.68 grams of carbohydrates.

Conclusion

First, I am no hater of BPC, however I do not believe that BPC should be used as a meal replacement, rather it should be a dietary enhancement (a way to add fat to your keto meal plan), especially for those days in which you may choose to do intermittent fasting. As a morning meal I have my concerns that it will not meet all of your dietary needs on a daily basis. As for the many claims about mental clarity, I have not experienced that 'morning fog' or sluggishness that Mr. Asprey claims we all have in the morning. I attribute that to my keto diet (the removal of carbage), along with a good exercise and weight lifting program which allows me to get 6 to 8 hours of good restful sleep. All of which I experienced before starting to drink my own version of keto coffee. My point is I believe that many of the claims made by Mr. Asprey attributed to BPC are simply false, or at least exaggerated.

If you have read any of my articles, you know that IMHO, organic free range butter, and certified clean coffee does not help you lose any additional weight as opposed to using Folger's coffee and Great Value unsalted butter. No matter how much you like free range or organic products, there is simply no proof to suggest otherwise. Second, because our primary concern here at CulinaryYouLCHF is to show you how to stay keto strong on a budget, we try and help you to purchase the best possible ingredients at the lowest prices.

If you can afford to purchase the more expensive ingredients and wish to do so because you believe that they are healthier for you then so be it. The point is you do not have to spend a fortune to make your own delicious BPC style coffee. When I work, I cut corners slightly with my BPC as I get extra butter in my morning meal. On my off days, I go full BPC and throw everything in the blender, or get out my trusty old immersion blender and blend away. The best part is I can make own delicious and nutritious version of BPC for less than a quarter of the price of the ingredients that Mr. Asprey sells on his website and or on Amazon, and so can you! As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Don't forget to follow our blog, or check us out on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on 'Google+' to continue to receive our latest LCHF and Keto recipes.

Related Articles On Our Blog:

Make Your Own LCHF Flavored Coffee Creamers

Make Your Own LCHFStarbucks Frappuccino

References:

Rose, Brent, Bulletproof Coffee: Debunking the Hot Buttered Hype, Gizmodo, January23, 2015.

How To Make Bulletproof Coffee, Bulletproof Blog, Accessed December 12, 2016

Gayomali, Chris, What It's Like To Drink Bulletproof Coffee Every Morning For TwoWeeks: A fortnight with Silicon Valley's fuel du jour. Could it makeour writer faster, smarter, and more productive? August 21, 2014.

Perfect Cup Of Bulletproof Coffee, Ruled Me, Accessed December 22, 2016.

Liquid LCHF Flavored Coffee Creamers

I guess I could survive the morning without having any coffee if I had too, but I don't have too, and to be honest I love a good cup of coffee. Not just any coffee mind you, I have been accused of being a 'fru-fru' coffee drinker. That is to say, I like my coffee with plenty of cream and generally the flavored kind. Don't get me wrong, I can drink it black, and have on many occasions, but only when necessary. One of the great things about the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) eating program is that I discovered that heavy cream is far more beneficial and has less carbohydrates (0.42 carbohydrates per tablespoon) than the Great Value powdered creamer I was using (3 carbohydrates per tablespoon). BTW, that's 7 times less carbohydrates in the heavy cream, than the cheap powdered coffee creamer. Because I was using 2 tablespoons of powdered creamer (6 carbs per cup), the first step in making my coffee not only healthier for me, but making it more enjoyable was to switch to using 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (0.84 carbs per cup).

Now, on to the 'fru-fru' part. Before I was diagnosed as a diabetic, I loved to use International Delights flavored coffee creamers in my coffee, because they contained enough sugar that all I had to do was add the creamer to my coffee and like a miracle it was not only sweet, but flavorful, and creamy. I would like to officially blame 7-11 for my addiction to these creamers as I used to buy a 24oz coffee for $1.19 and load it up with 'French Vanilla' flavored creamer when I worked in the big city when I was quite a few years younger. The problem with these creamers is that they contain 5 carbohydrates per tablespoon, all coming from sugar. So if I only used 2 tablespoons (and I probably used more) it would contain 10 carbs, and that's half my carb intake goal for the day, Yikes!

So I gave up the flavored coffee creamers a few years ago, but I always enjoyed them, and decided that there had to be a way that I could make my own version of these flavored creamers that contained a minimal amount of carbohydrates. After all, the biggest hurdle is to find a suitable zero calorie substitute for the sugar. If you have been reading our blog, then you will know that in the last few months we have discovered liquid sucralose and began introducing it into our diet as a substitute for the granulated Splenda and we love it. Once I had a good liquid sugar substitute, I knew I could make my own flavored coffee creamers.

In this article, I will show you how to make my versions of many of the popular flavored coffee creamers available from Coffee-Mate, as well as International Delights. I am not going to claim that I am a pioneer in making my own creamers, in fact, I based my initial trial recipes off a blog post that used sweetened condensed milk as the base for the creamers, but as we know sweetened condensed milk is loaded with sugar. From there a simple substitution of heavy cream and some tweaking of the flavorings and after a few trial runs I believe I have the recipe down.

The Recipe

The recipe for all of the flavored creamers in this article start with a 'creamer base'. This creamer base is simply 1 cup of heavy cream with 3 to 4 drops of liquid sucralose added to it for sweetness. To this base you simply add the flavorings of your choice to make a specific type of creamer. We buy heavy cream in the 1 quart container, and make a couple of different one cup (8 ounces) flavors of creamer at a time. You could scale up this recipe to make a bulk creamer base, and then add your flavorings to make a whole quart of one specific flavor, just remember you need to increase the amount of both the sucralose and the flavorings. Having said that, I personally believe the one cup batch is the most versatile, and this is how I make my flavored creamers.

LCHF Creamer Base

1 cup heavy cream

3 – 4 teaspoons liquid sucralose

Take your creamer base, and add one of the following flavorings and place in a jar and shake well to mix the ingredients and your ready to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee.

Chef's Note – I use liquid sucralose (25% concentration) as my sweetener of choice, the ratio is 1 drop of sucralose equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. You can of course use liquid stevia, but I never have. According to stevia.net, it takes 3 – 4 drops of liquid stevia to equal one teaspoon of sugar. Therefore you would need 9 – 12 drops of stevia to make this LCHF creamer base.

LCHF Creamer Base

Per Batch – Calories 821, protein 1 gram, fat 88 grams, carbohydrates 6.6 grams

Per Tablespoon - Calories 51, protein 0.31 grams, fat 5.51 grams, carbohydrates 0.42 grams

Coffee Mate French Vanilla

Per Tablespoon - Calories 35, protein 0 grams, fat 1.5 grams, carbohydrates 5 grams

International Delights French Vanilla

Per Tablespoon - Calories 35, protein 0 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 5 grams

The Flavorings

We use the following recipes to make some of our favorite coffee creamers. They are listed alphabetically, not by preference just to make it easier. Remember the ingredients listed in these flavor variations is to flavor one cup (8 ounces) of the creamer base. You will note that in some of the following flavorings we use the Torani flavored syrups, make sure you get the sugar-free ones, they are made with liquid sucralose. Doing this keeps the carbohydrate count effectively zero.

Almond Joy

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon almond extracted

Bailey's Irish Creme

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Butter Toffee

½ teaspoon butter extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

French Vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Hazelnut

1 teaspoon Hazelnut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Peppermint Patti

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

¾ teaspoon peppermint extract

¼ teaspoon coconut extract

Somoas

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

2 teaspoons Torani caramel syrup (sugar free), or ¾ teaspoon caramel extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Macadamia nut

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon macadamia nut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Now, there are a wide variety of other flavors some more popular than others. Including the seasonal varieties of that you could make and there are quite a few recipes for making your own flavored coffee creamers out there on the internet. Now that you know how to make the LCHF creamer base, it is simply a matter of adding the necessary flavorings that you like.

Using Powdered Flavorings, Spices, and Sweeteners

Using powdered flavorings, spices, and or sweeteners (Erythritol, Xylitol, Splenda etc...) requires a few more steps as you need to make sure that the powdered or granulated ingredients are throughly dissolved in the creamer as you do not want a gritty cup of coffee. Because of the milk proteins in heavy cream, it should be heated gently and slowly in order to avoid a scorched flavor and or film forming on the top or bottom of the pan. While you can heat your heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove directly on the burner, you will have less problems if you use one of the following methods when making your flavored creamers using powdered spices and flavorings.

The Double-boiler Method – Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add your LCHF creamer base, flavorings, spices, and sweeteners. Heat just until bubbles form around the edge and steam begins to rise from the heavy cream. Stirring frequently will prevent a film layer from forming. Once you are satisfied that all of the powdered spices and flavorings are completely combined, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Pour into a container of your choice and store in the refrigerator.

The Microwave Method – Pour the LCHF creamer base, flavorings, spices, and sweeteners into a microwave-safe container and microwave on medium-high (70%) power, and heat for 15 – 20 seconds at a time, just until steam begins to rise from the bowl. Be careful not to overheat the heavy cream as it will curdle. Once you are satisfied that all of the powdered spices and flavorings are completely combined, then remove the bowl from the microwave and allow to cool. Pour into a container of your choice and store in the refrigerator.

Chef's Note: The times and power settings are based on a smaller 700-watt microwave oven. If you have a more powerful microwave then you will need to adjust cooking times to suit your particular microwave.

Chocolate Coconut

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

1 teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Hazelnut (Frangelico)

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

1 teaspoon hazelnut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnabon

½ teaspoon powdered cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon imitation butter extract (optional)

Double Chocolate Fudge

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Nog

1 teaspoon rum extract

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Pumpkin Spice Latte

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

The Competition

Just in case you are wondering, Coffee-Mate and International Delights both make a limited run of sugar-free versions of some of their popular flavored creamers using sucralose, but they also contain maltdextrin and some corn syrup milk solids. So while the are sugar free, they are not totally carbohydrate free.

Coffee Mate French Vanilla Sugar-Free

Per Tablespoon - Calories 15, protein 0 grams, fat 1 gram, carbohydrates 2 grams

Coffee Mate French Vanilla Sugar-Free

Per Tablespoon - Calories 20, protein 0 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 1 gram

Cost Analysis

Well I am going to tell you up front, that it is not cheaper to make your own flavored coffee creamers. At the time that I am writing this article, one quart (32 ounces) of Great Value heavy whipping cream is $4.14 at my local Walmart. A quart of International Delights flavored creamer sells for $2.98, a quart of Coffee Mate flavored sells for $3.18, and a quart of Great Value flavored creamer sells for $2.48. In addition, you will need to purchase some flavor extracts and or Torani sugar-free syrups to make a variety of flavors, increasing your end product cost even more. I estimate that it costs me about $4.50 to make a quart of flavored creamer at home. That's about 40 to 50% more to make my own flavored creamer. Having said that, the cost-benefit ratio to me is invaluable.

DIY LCHF 32 ounce flavored creamer $4.50 ($0.14 per ounce)

Great Value 32 ounce flavored creamer $2.48 ($0.08 per ounce)

Coffee Mate 32 ounce flavored creamer $3.18 ($0.10 per ounce)

International Delights 32 ounce flavored creamer $2.98 ($0.09 per ounce)

So, while it does cost me more money to make my own flavored creamers, they contain seven times less carbohydrates than the commercially prepared creamers, and they do not contain any preservatives, and they contain up to 60% more fat which, which wait for it….is good for those of use on a LCHF diet, including people that are diabetic.

Conclusion

The bottom line, making your own flavored creamers is an excellent way to limit the number of extra carbohydrates that most people fail to think about when they are having their morning coffee. If you are diabetic, then making your own flavored creamers is a great way to add not only flavor to your coffee, but also allows you to control the amount of sugar and carbohydrates that you consume. Making specialty flavors using powdered spices, flavorings, and sugar substitutes does take a bit more time and work as you have to heat up the cream in order to make sure the powdered and granulated ingredients are throughly dissolved, but for many, they effort is well worth it.

With the right favorings and extracts, the combination of liquid creamers that you can make is only limited by your imagination. I have included some of my families favorites here, but there are definitely more combinations than I have listed in this article. So I encourage you to experiment and enjoy. As always, if you have found this article informative and useful, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page CulinaryYou LCHF, or add us to your circle on Google+ so that you can keep up with the latest articles from our blog.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Liquid Sucralose, A Great LCHF Sweetener, November 20, 2016.

Make Your Own Starbucks Frappuccino

References:

Coffee-Mate, Liquid Coffee Creamers, accessed December 1, 2016.

Everything You Need To Know About Liquid Sucralose, International Food InformationCouncil Foundation, August 24, 2016.

International Delight, Liquid Coffee Creamers, accessed December 1, 2016.

Liquid Stevia Conversion Chart, A Tale Of Incredible Sweetness, Stevia.Net, accessed December 9, 2016.

Liquid Sucralose, A Great LCHF Sweetener, November 20, 2016.

Make Your Own Starbuck's Frappuccino

Everyone likes Starbucks chilled frappuccino right? You know the little glass bottles sold at just about every convenience store and supermarket here in the United States. I have only two small problems with these flavored coffee drinks. First, they are expensive, sometimes up to $1.89 if sold individually. Second, they contain 33 carbohydrates per serving. Heck, at my current goal rate that's more than my whole carbohydrate intake for the whole day. Not exactly what you would call low carbohydrate friendly. My mother-in-law loves these things, and my wife who is not a hot coffee drinker likes them as well, so it was up to me to find a way to make a more LCHF friendly version of Starbucks frappuccino so that my wife could enjoy this treat.

My nephew and his beautiful family came to visit us about a week ago and we were taking about how my wife and I have gone on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) eating plan. Calan pulled out a Starbucks frappuccino and commented on the carbohydrate count of 33 grams. He playfully told his wife “you cannot have any, it has two many carbs.” We all laughed and I told him how I was making my own frappuccino at home and it only has 2.8 carbohydrates per 9.5 ounce serving. So I decided, that it was time to share my recipe for my version of 'Starbucks Mocha frappuccino' for those of you who are diabetic or just wanting to go low carb.

Low Carb Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino (Yield 44 ounces)

The following recipe is for a mocha flavored frappuccino style chilled coffee. This of course means that it has a 'zero calorie' flavored chocolate syrup made from sucralose. Torani makes quite a variety of sugar-free flavored syrups (36 in total last time I checked) that can be used in the recipe making a variety of different flavors. The one thing that some may not like about the Torani syrups is that they do contain quite a bit of preservatives (see ingredient section), however they are hugely popular. If you do not like the idea of the syrups, then simply omit them. A variation that I sometimes make is substituting the chocolate syrup for 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Just keep in mind that vanilla extract is concentrated and a little goes a long way.

8 cups fresh brewed coffee

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup Torani chocolate sugar free syrup

1/3 cup Splenda

Add coffee to your drip coffee maker according to your personal tastes. Then add 8 cups of water to your coffee maker. Add the chocolate syrup and Splenda to your carafe or coffee pot and hit to start button. After the coffee has brewed, add the heavy cream to the carafe or coffee pot and stir throughly. Fill bottles of your choice and place in the refrigerator.

Chef's Note: If you are going to use plastic bottles, it would probably be best to wait until the coffee has cooled to room temperature to keep the plastic from melting. As we wash and reuse the glass Starbucks jars that my mother-in-law purchases, I fill them while the coffee is still hot. Once they cool, I place the lids on and place the bottles in the refrigerator. I drink the small bit of leftover frappuccino while it is still hot, a small treat for the cook.

Total Recipe Calories – 443, protein 2.44 grams, fat 44 grams, carbohydrates 11.2 grams

Per (9.5oz) Serving Calories – 111, protein 0.61 grams, fat 11 grams, carbohydrates 2.8 grams

Starbucks (9.5 ounces)

Calories – 180, protein 6 grams, fat 3 grams, carbohydrates 33 grams

What's great about the nutritional content of this recipe is that it actually contains 39% less calories and 92% less carbohydrates than Starbucks. It does however contain 73% more saturated fat from heavy cream, but we are on a LCHF diet so it's right where we need it.

The Ingredients

Not many surprises here. Our homemade frappuccino definitely has no real objectionable ingredients until you add the Torani sugar-free syrup. The ingredients in Starbucks frappuccino's are not to terribly problematic, with the exception of the sugar which is where it gets it's 33 grams of carbohydrates from, but I have listed them here anyway.

Homemade Mocha Frappuccino – Water, coffee, heavy cream, sucrolose, dextrose, and Torani sugar-free syrup (water natural flavors, caramel color, sodium benzonate and potassium sorbate, citric acid, xantham gum, sucralose, acesulfame potassium).

Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino – Water, Coffee, reduced fat milk, skim milk, sugar, maltodextrin, cream, natural and artificial flavor, pectin, and ascorbic acid.

As you can see, all the additives in the homemade frappuccino come from the Torani sugar-free flavored syrup. If you make your own chilled frappuccino without using any of the various flavored Torani syrups, then you can cut back on the artificial preservatives.

Cost Analysis

I usually do not take the time to show a cost analysis for every LCHF recipe I make as the primary focus on such recipes is to lower the amount of carbohydrates in the recipe, not price. However, making your own frappuccino's at home really knocks both of these goals right out of the park. Not only does this recipe have 84% less carbohydrates than store bought, it costs 75% less to make your own frappuccino at home.

Homemade Frappuccino 4-pack assorted flavors $1.40, ($0.35 each)

Starbucks Frappuccino 4-pack assorted flavors at Walmart $5.44 ($1.36 each)

Folgers coffee purchased on sale is $0.21 per ounce, I use 0.5 ounces to make 8 cups of coffee making the cost for coffee $0.11 ($0.21 x 0.5 = $0.11). Heavy Cream costs $0.13 per ounce, and we are using 4 ounces making the total of heavy cream $0.52, ($0.13 x 4 = $0.52). A one-third cup of Splenda weighs 0.2 ounces, Splenda costs $0.37 per ounce so the cost for the Splenda $0.07 ($0.37 x 0.2 = 0.074). Torani Sugar-Free chocolate syrup $0.35 per ounce so the cost of the chocolate syrup is $0.70 ($0.35 x 2 = $0.70). Therefore making the total cost of your 4-pack of homemade frappuccino $1.40 or $0.35 per bottle. That's an amazing 75% savings in cost. Let me rephrase that, you can make 12 bottles of your own frappuccino at home for the cost of 4 bottles of the Starbucks brand frappuccino.

Conclusion

So there you have it, a LCHF, diabetic, and food budget friendly version of the popular Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. This recipe will not only save you money, but will allow you to enjoy an LCHF treat that will not destroy your dietary goals. So make some bottles up ahead and throw them in your cooler and take them to work or to the gym for when you need a little coffee fix in the afternoon or after a workout for a treat that tastes like a cheat, but it's not. As always, we ask that if you have found this article informative and helpful that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+ so that you can receive our latest article.